A group of Guelph Eramosa Township residents concerned about a proposed quarry in the Rockwood area will be making their concerns known by attending a special council meeting on the subject on Aug. 12.
The purpose of the special meeting of Guelph Eramosa Township council, taking place at 7 p.m. at the Rockmosa Community Centre in Rockwood, is to receive the preliminary planning report on a revised zoning request by James Dick Construction Limited for the “Hidden Quarry,” a news release said.
The report will summarize the work undertaken to date and make recommendations on next steps for council’s consideration, it said.
Members of the Concerned Residents Coalition plan to attend and take part in the meeting.
The Hidden Quarry site is located at Highway 7 and 6th Line Eramosa in an agricultural area a kilometer from some Rockwood homes and within 500 metres of at least 20 private wells, the release said.
The construction company has applied for re-zoning in order to excavate a pit and dig a quarry as deep as 30 metres below the water table, it said.
In order for the quarry to be approved, council would have to approve the rezoning of agricultural land to “extractive industrial,” it said.
The residents coalition was formed immediately after the first public meeting about the proposed quarry in March 2013. The group now consists of more than 700 members, the release said.
Over the past year and a half, the coalition has made 14 presentations to the township council about its concerns.
Issues addressed have included air quality and water resources, health and safety, blasting, and agricultural and economic impacts.
Many of the coalition’s presentations are featured online on the media page of its website, www.hiddenquarry.ca.
A copy of the planning report being presented at the upcoming meeting will be available on Aug. 8 on the township’s website at www.get.on.ca/hiddenquarry.